The present invention generally relates to flywheel-motor-generator technology and, more particularly, is concerned with an integrated roll control and power supply system and method for a missile.
Electric energy storage and generation provided through the employment of flywheel-motor-generator technology is well-known in the prior art. A detailed discussion of this approach is provided in an article entitled "Flywheels" appearing in Scientific American, December 1973, pages 17-23.
Important advantages of this technology are its high degree of reliability, almost infinite shelf life, little or no sensitivity to cold temperature, inherent built-in test feature, and inherent flexibility and adaptability in that its spin can be increased without increase in size. These advantages make it worthwhile for designers to consider flywheel-motor-generator technology as a potential candidate for providing both stability control and electrical power supply in various applications where space is limited, such as on different platforms used in airborne, space, and undersea environments.
One such airborne application is tactical missiles which typically have severe space limitations and, at the same time, tend to require mission adaptive power sources. It was perceived by the inventor herein that application of this technology could lead to an improved system in which weight and volume requirements are minimized while roll damping is advantageously provided and mission adaptive electrical power is supplied.